Mobile device dash kit and method of installation
A casing removably attached to a vehicle dashboard using a plurality of mating components. The casing is configured to receive and release a mobile device that is slidably insertable through an aperture in a surface of the casing. The casing is configured with an opening to view the display of the device and has a securing mechanism to hold the inserted device in place. The mounting/mating components may be magnetic. There is a method of installing a removably mountable casing having preattached mounting components to a vehicle dashboard. The method comprises removing the dashboard, aligning the casing against a front side of the dashboard; preparing the dashboard at a location where a plurality of mating components will be attached; attaching the plurality of mating components to the location; reconnecting the dashboard; and mounting the casing such that the mounting components correspondingly mate to the mating components on the dashboard.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/460,695, filed Feb. 17, 2017, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to vehicle accessories, more specifically to vehicle accessories that can hold a mobile device while mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle.
BACKGROUNDMobile devices such as iPads, mobile phones and the like are used in vehicles for activities such as playing music, movies, using software applications, or the Global Positioning System (“GPS”). However, in order to install a mount for the mobile device that is seamless with the dashboard, most automotive enthusiasts go to a custom audio shop to fabricate a vehicle factory dashboard. This can be costly, time intensive and permanently alters the look of the dashboard.
Most people own a mobile device and most people use their mobile device for navigation instead of the factory navigation system because the mobile device navigation system has live traffic updates and applications like Google Maps or Waze which helps people get to their destination a lot quicker and easier. Not only does the user have the perfect navigation system, but the user will have all the applications, movies, and music linked to the user's car via Bluetooth or via an auxiliary cable. Applications such as OBD2 dongle can be used to monitor the car performance on the mobile device. Users who want to modify their vehicle dashboard to install a mobile device can spend thousands of dollars in custom fabrication work and they will lose their factory radio and void their vehicle factory warranty.
Accordingly, there is a need for an easy, cost effective, seamless, quick, and nonpermanent mounting accessory that can mount onto a vehicle dashboard that secures mobile devices in place. There is also a further need to maintain the factory radio when mounting and dismounting the casing occurs and mounting the casing without permanently altering the dashboard of the vehicle.
SUMMARYAccording to an embodiment, there is a casing mountable on a dashboard, configured to receive and support a mobile device within an inner surface of the casing, wherein the casing and the dashboard do not require customization prior to mounting on the dashboard. The casing comprises one or more mounting components on a back surface of the casing for mounting the casing onto the dashboard. The casing has a front surface having an opening for viewing a display of the mobile device, the front surface extends to a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface. There is a securing mechanism on the inner surface of the casing securing the mobile device in place and at least one aperture in a surface of the casing for inserting or removing the mobile device. The one or more mounting components of the casing are configured to mate with one or more mating components that are attached to an internal surface or front surface of the dashboard.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is a casing system/dash kit for removably mounting the casing to the dashboard, where the casing and the dashboard do not require customization prior to mounting the casing on the dashboard. The casing is configured to receive and support a mobile device within an inner surface of the casing and the casing comprises one or more magnetic mounting components on a back surface of the casing. The casing system further comprises one or more magnetic mating components which are attachable to an internal surface or outer surface of the dashboard for mating with the one or more magnetic mounting components on the back surface of the casing.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is a method of installing a removably mountable casing having one or more preattached mounting components to a dashboard of a vehicle, wherein the method of installing the casing comprises removing the dashboard from the vehicle, aligning the casing against a front surface of the dashboard, preparing a portion of the dashboard for attaching one or more mating components, attaching the one or more mating components to the portion of the dashboard, reinstalling the removed dashboard to the vehicle, and mounting the casing such that the one or more preattached mounting components mate with the one or more mating components.
These features, advantages and other embodiments of the present invention are further made apparent, in the remainder of the present document, to those of ordinary skill in the art.
In order to more fully describe embodiments of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are not to be considered limitations in the scope of the invention, but are merely illustrative.
The description above and below and the drawings of the present document focus on one or more currently preferred embodiments of the present invention and also describe some exemplary optional features and/or alternative embodiments. The description and drawings are for the purpose of illustration and not limitation. Those of ordinary skill in the art would recognize variations, modifications, and alternatives. Such variations, modifications, and alternatives are also within the scope of the present invention. Section titles are terse and are for convenience only.
According to embodiments of the present invention, the casing 1 as shown in
Embodiments of the present invention comprise a casing 1 for mounting on a dashboard 8 of a vehicle, which is configured to receive and support a mobile device 3. Mounting components refer to magnetic component 5, fabric hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro, double sided tape, or suction cups and the like that are preinstalled on the casing 1. Mating components 70 refer to the components that mate with the mounting components. The mating components 70 can be magnets, fabric hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro, double sided tape, or suction cups and the like that are attached to the vehicle dashboard 8. The mating components 70 can be attached to the internal surface 20 of a vehicle dashboard 8 or front surface of the vehicle dashboard 8. The casing 1 can be dismounted by pulling the casing 1 from the dashboard 8 when not in use.
As illustrated in
Depending on the make and model of the vehicle, the casing 1 can also be aligned in a vertical direction along the vehicle dashboard 8. When the casing 1 is aligned in a vertical direction, the shortest dimension of the casing is set in a vertical position relative to the dashboard. When the casing 1 is aligned in a horizontal direction, the longest dimension of the casing is set in a horizontal position relative to the dashboard. The mounting components, i.e., magnetic components 5 (not shown, see
The casing 1 as disclosed in the present invention, are pre-customized because the casing 1 is manufactured to have the form and shape of a particular make and model dashboard 8 before the user mounts it. For example, there are casings 1 manufactured for the make and model of Chevy, Colorado, Silverado; Dodge, Ram; Ford, F-150, Mustang; Jeep, Wrangler; Subaru, Forester/XT, WRX/STI, XV Crosstrek, and the user only has to remove the factory vehicle dashboard 8 and attach the mating component 70 onto the vehicle dashboard 8 in order to install the casing 1. The casing 1 of the present invention does not require, like previous casings, the user to customize the dashboard or casing by removing the vehicle dashboard and permanently re-shaping the dashboard or permanently removing the factory radio because there is not enough room for both. The disadvantages of previous casings require the user to customize the casing with fiber glass, cutting, applying Bondo products or painting before installing.
When the charging cable is plugged into the mobile device 3 the charging tab 6 will cover the cable as it runs from the mobile device 3 through the gap 32 to provide a seamless look.
As mentioned, the curves and contours of the top surface 24a, bottom surface 24b, left surface 24c, right surface 24d, and back surface 18 can change depending on the vehicle dashboard make and model that the casing 1 mounts on. There is an opening 26, also referred to as an aperture, that allows a user to view the display of the inserted mobile device 3. In one embodiment, the user inserts the mobile device 3 through the opening 26 and then secures the mobile device 3 against the extended recessed portion 28 of the inner surface 22 of the casing 1. For this embodiment, once the mobile device 3 is inserted through the opening 26, it is held in place by two lips 34 on the front surface 24e as the mobile device 3 rests against the extended recessed portion 28.
These magnetic component 5 will align and mate with the mating component 70 attached to the internal surface 20 of a vehicle dashboard 8. There is a charging tab 6 that covers the gap 32a for the charging cable. There is a plurality of gussets 54 along the outer edge of the back surface 18 to minimize warping. In order to cool the mobile device 3, the casing 1 has a ventilation cutout 36 which allows the air to easily flow through. There is also a hole 52 (not shown, see
As illustrated in
There is a method of installing the casing 1, to the vehicle dashboard 8 according to an embodiment. A method of installment varies slightly depending on the model and make of the vehicle dashboard 8. The method generally comprises removing the factory vehicle dashboard 8 from the vehicle. Depending on the make and model of the vehicle, certain parts will need to be detached from the vehicle dashboard 8 to completely remove it. For example, there may be a connector for power windows that may need to be disconnected or a speaker connector. Using the tools provided in the kit, the vehicle dashboard 8 is removed. To assure proper alignment between the dashboard 8 and casing 1, the casing 1 is placed over the vehicle dashboard 8 and secured with masking tape. The vehicle dashboard 8 is prepared for receiving one or more mating components 70. In particular, the internal surface 20 of the vehicle dashboard 8 is wiped with a promoter such as an adhesive promoter 16 and allowed to air dry. The template 14 is then aligned to designated areas on the internal surface 20 of the vehicle dashboard 8. The release liner of the adhesive 71 is peeled off and the mating magnetic component 70 is firmly held to designated locations as directed by the template on the internal surface 20 of the vehicle dashboard 8. Once the mating components 70 are installed on the internal surface 20 of the vehicle dashboard 8, the removed dashboard 8 is reinstalled onto the vehicle. The casing 1, having preattached mounting components 5, is then removably mountable upon the dashboard such that the mounting components 5 correspond to the mating components 70. For magnetic mounting components 5, the casing 1 is easily and quickly mounted by magnetic connection to the dashboard via magnetic mating components 70.
Another method of installing another embodiment of the casing 1 comprises removing the internal surface 20 of a vehicle dashboard 8 from the vehicle, placing templates 14 on designated areas on the internal surface 20, peeling off the release liner from the adhesive 71 of the two mating component 70 and adhering the two mating component 70 to designated spots on the internal surface 20 of the vehicle dashboard designated by the templates 14. The method further comprises then peeling off the release liner from the adhesive 71 of the two metal sheets 58 and adhering the metal sheets 58 to designated spots on the front of the vehicle dashboard 8. Metal sheets 58 are attached to portions of the front of the dashboard 8 because there are mechanical parts on the internal surface 20 of the vehicle dashboard 8 that prevent adhering the mating magnetic component 5. Once this is completed, the vehicle dashboard 8 is reinstalled to the vehicle.
Throughout the description and drawings, example embodiments are given with reference to specific configurations. It will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms. Those of ordinary skill in the art would be able to practice such other embodiments without undue experimentation. The scope of the present invention, for the purpose of the present patent document, is not limited merely to the specific example embodiments or alternatives of the foregoing description.
Claims
1. A casing removably mountable on a factory dashboard, configured to surround a factory radio and to secure a mobile device within an inner surface of the casing, the casing comprising:
- one or more mounting components on a back surface of the casing for removably mounting the casing surrounding the factory radio on the factory dashboard;
- a front surface having a single continuous opening, wherein an edge of the single continuous opening surrounds the factory radio for viewing a display of the mobile device, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface; and
- at least one aperture in a surface of the casing for inserting or removing the mobile device.
2. The casing of claim 1, wherein the one or more mounting components on the back surface of the casing are configured to mate with one or more mating components attached to an internal surface of the factory dashboard.
3. The casing of claim 1, wherein the one or more mounting components on the back surface of the casing are configured to mate with one or more mating components attached to a front surface of the factory dashboard.
4. The casing of claim 1, wherein the one or more mounting components are selected from the group consisting of magnets, fabric hooks and loop fasteners, double sided tape, and suction cups.
5. The casing of claim 1, further comprising at least one channel to secure the mobile device.
6. The casing of claim 1, further comprising a recessed portion to secure the mobile device.
7. The casing of claim 1, further comprising a ventilation cutout.
8. A casing system for removably mounting a casing on a factory dashboard, configured to surround a factory radio, the casing system comprising:
- the casing configured to secure a mobile device within an inner surface of the casing, the casing comprising one or more magnetic mounting components on a back surface of the casing for removably mounting the casing surrounding the factory radio on the factory dashboard; a front surface having a single continuous opening, wherein an edge of the single continuous opening surrounds the factory radio for viewing a display of the mobile device, a top surface, a bottom surface, a left surface and a right surface; an aperture in a surface for slidably inserting and removing the mobile device; and
- one or more magnetic mating components for mating with the one or more magnetic mount components on the back surface of the casing.
9. The casing system of claim 8, further comprising an extended recessed portion for securing the mobile device.
10. The casing system of claim 8, further comprising at least one channel along the top surface, the bottom surface, the left surface and the right surface of the inner surface of the casing for securing the mobile device.
11. The casing system of claim 8, wherein a longest dimension of the casing is set in a horizontal position relative to the factory dashboard.
12. The casing system of claim 8, wherein a shortest dimension of the casing is set in a vertical position relative to the factory dashboard.
13. The casing system of claim 8, further comprising a ventilation cutout.
14. A method of installing a removably mountable mobile device casing, configured to surround a factory radio on a factory dashboard of a vehicle, the removably mountable mobile device casing having one or more mounting components, the method of installing the mobile device casing comprising:
- a) removing the factory dashboard from the vehicle,
- b) aligning the mobile device casing against the factory radio of the factory dashboard,
- c) preparing a portion of the factory dashboard for attaching one or more mating components,
- d) attaching the one or more mating components to the portion of the factory dashboard;
- e) reinstalling the factory dashboard to the vehicle, and
- f) mounting the mobile device casing surrounding the factory radio on the factory dashboard such that the one or more mounting components mate with the one or more mating components.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of preparing comprises wiping an adhesive promoter onto the portion of the factory dashboard.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the portion of the factory dashboard is an internal surface of the factory dashboard surrounding the factory radio.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the portion of the factory dashboard is the front surface of the factory dashboard surrounding the factory radio.
18. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more mating components are selected from the group consisting of magnets, fabric hooks and loop fasteners, double sided tape, and suction cups.
19. The method of claim 14, wherein a longest dimension of the mobile casing is set in a horizontal position relative to the factory dashboard.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Feb 17, 2018
Date of Patent: Aug 11, 2020
Patent Publication Number: 20180236873
Assignee: Carrichs Accessories, LLC (Paramount, CA)
Inventor: Tim Nguyen (Westminster, CA)
Primary Examiner: Adam J Waggenspack
Application Number: 15/898,567
International Classification: B60K 37/02 (20060101); F16M 13/02 (20060101); B60R 11/02 (20060101); B60K 35/00 (20060101); B60K 37/04 (20060101); B60R 11/00 (20060101);